Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Torre sounds off on Yankees

As you’d imagine, the tabloids are having a field day with some of the leaked text:

New York Post:In an explosive new book called “The Yankee Years,” Torre gets most personal in his attacks against Alex Rodriguez, who he says was called “A-Fraud” by his teammates after he developed a “Single White Female”-like obsession with team captain Derek Jeter and asked for a personal clubhouse assistant to run errands for him.

New York Daily News:In “The Yankee Years,” due to be released on Feb. 3, Torre describes
general manager Brian Cashman as a less than supportive ally who
betrayed him on several fronts, and says that his star player, Alex
Rodriguez, was often referred to by his teammates as “A-Fraud” and was
obsessed with his perceived rival, shortstop Derek Jeter.

It’s only fair to note that the book also recounts the good times too. Here’s what Random House notes in a brief summary posted on their Web site:

“The Yankee Years chronicles the amazing stories
on the diamond. The stirring comeback in the 1996 World Series against
the heavily favored Braves. The wonder of 1998, when Torre led the
Yanks to the most wins in Major League history. The draining and
emotional drama of the 2001 World Series. The incredible twists and
turns of the epic Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship
Series against the Red Sox, in which two teams who truly despised each
other battled pitch by pitch until the stunning extra-inning home run.“

So we’ll reserve judgment until we see the complete book, but certainly some of Torre’s claims will create a ripple effect through the organization. Do some of these comments change how you view Torre?

33 Comments

just read that. Actually sounds like $6M guaranteed with another $5M possible in incentives. Welcome back Andy. I want you on this team so you can get your 5th ring.
CC, AJ, Wang, Pettitte with Joba and Hughes spelling one another to keep Joba’s innings down. Ok. LETS PLAY BALL!

I, too, wonder why, if it’s a third-person narrative, is Torre’s name on the book? I saw a picture of the cover on the Post’s website and it says it’s by Joe Torre AND Tom Verducci. Tom Verducci is an established, professional baseball writer. He doesn’t need writing help from an amateur.http://thisfanslife.mlblogs.com

Lets actually read the book before judgment is passed, I can’t believe the lack of faith that is being showed for the man who led one of the greatest dynasty’s of the past century in sports. Torre was a great manager for the Yankees; all of this talk about Torre not knowing how to handle a pitching staff is uneducated and completely based on media sources who always find something. NOBODY can use this book as a cornerstone of their plea against Torre because NOBODY has read the book– I guarantee that 80% of the people who will eventually use the book as a tool against Torre are people who did not read the book, but are merely using these reports.

Torre’s days were numbered after the “Bugs” were trying to make a meal out of Joba in the Indian’s playoff game. Joe sat in the dug out and …well? just sat there. I don’t blame Joe for writing a book, but what’sin the clubhouse should remain there. I guess when your bitter and resentful (Caseco) you come out and trash your former team with a tell all book. My question to Joe is, Why now? Are you trying to sell a book to make up for the salary difference you lost signing with L.A.? There seems to be some factor of greed here. Many fans of Torre will see him as a bitter person. Me personally, I think he has every right to write a book, but I question his timing? Why now? what does your book accomplish Joe? It would have been fine with me if Torre would have waited until he retired from baseball. Ego’s drive these books, along with greed. It was time for Torre to move on. Good luck in L.A. Joe..I hope you enjoyed the time here in N.Y. Keep those Rings clean, cause you ain’t going to get any where you are.

Mr. Torre just a few words to say to you first off I my self have been around the great game of baseball for a long time. As well as a life time Yankees fan I love that team like if it was my own!!! Mr. Torre you your self shoud know that what goes on in the club house stays in the club house good or bad right or wrong!!!.Mr.Torre has the sun out west gone to you head are you drinking too much wheat grass you should stay in L.A. and never come back to the Bronx you just made your own bed now sleep in it!!!
Go Yankees in 09 a new year a new leaf a ws champion!

Apparently, number 6 will not be retired afterall. I wonder who will get to wear it?

Really Dopey for Torre, who does not need the money, to participate in a “trash the Yankees” book. At a minimum, it cost him a plaque in Monument Park.

He must be really bitter about his mere one year multi million dollar deal offer from the Yanks.

He generally seemed asleep in the dugout, especially when a pitching change was needed. (I spent years yelling “Joe, Wake Up, your pitcher’s done.”) He should enjoy his semi retirement years in LA and off seasons in Hawaii.

I’m glad Torre sounded off, and I’m really glad he left when he did. He ruined our pitching staff by overusing guys that he had confidence in all year. They were worn out just in time for the playoffs.He really never gave young position players a chance either because they had no history. How in the hell can anyone develop a history without playing?And Arod? He is a fraud. I have been saying that all year and I’ve heard from all the Arod fans that we should just leave him alone and stop booing him. And, that his numbers justify his ranking as the best player in the league.The “best player in the league” can’t hit in the clutch? Give me a break!He’s a head case, and I only wish that there was some way of dumping him. I really wish he had left with Torre instead of signing that rediculous 10 year contract. If only I could pull a Rip Van Winkle and miss the whole thing. Of course with the ticket pricing at the new Stadium, I won’t be paying to watch him that much anyway.

I do NOT claim to know any details about A-Rod or Cashman. I just do NOT think it serves ANYONE (let alone someone who 1) in the public eye, 2) who is financially independent, and 3) values their public reputation/legacy) to air dirty laundry concerning colleagues, subordinates, or managers.

I’m not going to read that book anyway, but Torre would have been best served not making those comments. He is a Yankee legend, and he had always acted like it. Even when he left, turning down an offer that would have kept him as the highest paid manager in baseball as insulting, no one blamed him. Instead the fans, myself included, condemmed the Steinbrenners for letting a legend go like that.

Well, the thing about legends, they don’t make controversial quotes in order to sell a few extra books. It’s not like he needs the money. Or the publicity. All this has done is tinge the legacy of a man who will have a Yankee single digit number retired for him.

I think Joe did himself and his reputation a disservice with his name calling about A-Rod. What does a “single white woman’s obsession” even mean? I find it insulting. It’s one thing to be bitter toward the organization if he felt wronged. It’s another to diss his own players.

Oh spare me, Mr Torre! The more this bloated farty-pants speaks the less I like and respect him. He and Andy Pettitte should go and just stick it! I am so sick of this…

I am also beginning to think that the biggest reason why the Yankees didn’t perform well in the playoffs in 2005, 06, 07 is because of Torre’s lack of preparation. He should have retired with Paul O’neil.

To me, it seems like the remaining players from that “dynasty” from the late ’90’s are pretty much big time cry babies who think the world owes them something. The one exception is Rivera.

Bernie-“I’m not coming unless you make the the starting CF!” (I know he retired, but you get my point)
Pettitte-“Yeah, I did HGH…and I went 2-7 after the break, securing that this team won’t be in the playoffs….but I want more money!!!”
Jeter “I’ll show up to practice and to gamea whenever the hell I feel like it”
Torre “I LOOOOOVE LA! NY sucks and cashman didn’t defend me in 2007″ (but Cashman saved Torre, what, 2 other times?) How many times did Torre screw cashman by over using his bullpen and by causing problems with the pitching staff? It was Torre’s fault that Jeff Nelson didn’t re-sign in 2001! Nelson went on to have an All-star year in 2001, and we had NO SET UP guy in the world series!! Thanks Joe! Oh, we owe you SOOOOOOOOOO much Joe. Thanks again for pissing on those championship years, AGAIN. BTW-what was it they called you before 1996…? OH, right-CLUELESS JOE.

Torre is just bitter because he was fired. It happens to every one. I do believe that A-Rod is jealous of Jeter because A-Rod is kooky. He dates Madonna who is 50 years old and he’s a 30 something year old. Like the Mad Dog says… “A-Rod, pay ATTENTION!!”

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